Around, Behind, Up and Through
by YunaDax
Summary: Rachel's competing in a horse show and Frank doesn't know WHO to watch


Title: Around Behind Up and Through 

Author: Julia 

Disclaimer: okay I've belted the Rachel doll around enough.. time for some more fluff! 

Author's note: okayokayokay I just got back from a horse show.. and I got thinking.. what if..... teehee 

Around Behind Up and Through 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------Rachel Goldstein felt about to scream in frustration as she stared bleakly at the offending peice of clothing, tied in a thick knot around her neck. Muttering loudy she turned away from the mirror and tugged futiley at the tie, trying to undo the mess that she'd made of it. Loosening the knot enough to slip it over her head she turned back to the mirror, eyeing of the reflection it presented, ever anaylsing herself. Her hair wouldn't sit in its hairnet, her jodphors just didn't look right on her, her light blue Police shirt had a crease in the arm where she'd made a mistake ironing it.. and now she couldn't get her BLOODY tie done up right! Sighing she tried to remember the steps her father had taught her, 'around behind, up and through.... THROUGH........ARGH!' she screamed out loud this time, she was sure she got the first two steps right, but somehow the 'up' got lost and now she had a large lump of tie hanging down her front. Hearing a car horn outside her flat, she grabbed her navy blue Police jacket and her bag and bolted out of the house. 

Meeting the dark blue Magna outside she pulled open the passenger door and hopped in. 

" Nice Dudds!" Frank exclaimed as he saw the beige skintight riding pants. 

" Shut up!" Rachel exclaimed, pulling the tie from around her neck again. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to make a reasonable knot out of the garment again. Frank saw the look on her face and burst out laughing. 

" Gez Rach, you can catch serial killers on the tiniest shred of evidence, battle blokes TWICE your size and win, yet you can't tie a tie?" Frank smirked at her. 

As they pulled into the stables Frank reached over and grabbed the tie from Rachel's hands. Ridding the rapidly wrinkling garment of Rachel's failled attempts, he tossed it over his own head, and tied it so quick Rachel didn't have time to work out what was happening. Grinning he loosened the knot, slipped the still tied tie over his head and handed it to Rachel, who was just staring at him as if he'd grown 2 heads. 

" Rach.. its not THAT hard, I'd love to teach ya one day, but you've got a horse to get ready" he grinned, totally smug that he had actually shown her up for once. Still smirking he jumped out of the car and started walking in the direction of the stables, leaving Rachel still staring at the new neat and looking presentable tie around her neck. 

Catching up to Frank as he entered the dimly lit stables she looked for her horse, trying to pick her gentle friend out amongst all the other creatures. Spying the white blaze on the black head, she stopped and rumaged around in her bag for the carrot she had brought. Holding the carrot on the palm of her hand she offered it to her horse, gently stroking its satiny black neck as it munched. She reached beside the stable door and grabbed the blue halter that was hanging by a peg beside the nameplate 'Kalifa'. Slipping it over the sleek head she picked up a lead rope and led the huge animal out of his stable. 

Frank nearly fell of his drum of molasses as Rachel led this huge magnificent animal out into view. 

" God Rach, where's ya get him?!?" he said in awe. Rachel smiled at him, knowing that she had totally gotten him back for the tie remarks. 

" He's not mine Frank, he's Camilla's. You remember her? She's an old friend of mine" she said as she tied Kalifa up outside and started to brush his glossy coat. Frank just stared as she brushed Kalifa, painted his hooves black, braided his tail, picked out his hooves and tossed a clean blue cotten rug over him. 

"You gonna gawk all day Frank or are you gonna get the truck ready?" she smiled as she saw Frank's awestruck face. Frank nearly fell off his drum a second time as the voice bounced around his brain. Not only was he gawking at the horse, he was also gawking at the sight of Rachel in tight beige jodphors! Clicking his mind into gear he pulled the keys for the truck out of his pocket and went to find this thing he was supposed to drive. 

10 minutes later the big black horse truck reversed at a rather strange angle up to wear Goldie was holding Kalifa, ready to load him onto the truck. Frank jumped out of the cabin, landed awkwardly and muttered loudly. Picking himself up off the ground me started to pull the tailgate down. 

" Not used to leaping out of cabins are we Frank?" Rachel smirked, it was all she could do not to burst out laughing when Frank seemed to catapolt from the cabin. Still grinning she loaded Kalifa onto the truck, tied him, and went to fetch her gear from the tack room. Frank picked up Rachel's bag from the stable floor and returned to the truck, determined not to make a fool of himself again! 

After carefully loading all her gear, Rachel turned and climbed into the cabin next to Frank, her face still alive with her smile. 

" Before you say anything Miss Goldstein, let me remind you that I.. yes I, did that tie for you not half an hour ago" Frank said, still trying to save face from his landing. 

" yeah but I didn't come FLYING out of the cabin not 5 minutes ago" she countered, not letting Frank get away with anything. 

" yeah but I solved that Quincy case and saved your hide!" Frank returned. 

" but I solved that serial killer with the funeral parlour while you were in Melbourne!" she countered, quickly thinking of all the situations she had beaten Frank in. 

" yeah but I saved your hide AGAIN when those dealers kidnapped you and were making you dig your own grave after wiping you out and tossing you in their car boot!" he smiled, this was fun making her think and defend herself. 

" What about me saving your butt when Formica strung you up with Madigan?" she grinned, noticing too late that they had gone flying down the road past the highway turnoff. 

" SHIT Frank.. we missed the turnoff!" she exclaimed, dragging Frank back to his task of driving the truck. 

' SHIT!" he echoed, searching for another turn off. 

" Hey grab the UBD would ya? the page is marked" he said, eyes scanning for the elusive right turn that would get them back onto the highway. Rachel dived into the glovebox, pulling out the tattered street directory with the half naked picture of Elle hanging out from roughly the middle. She gingerly opened the book to the page, fearful that the ancient directory would fall to peices in her hands. Picking up the bookmark with her fingertips she waved it in Frank's face. 

" This is YOURS I assume" she said, smugg once again. Frank's face reddened by several shades 

" Just find the bloody street would ya?" he snapped, caught well and truely this time! 

Another 10 minutes laster they pulled into the showground, and were directed to a parking bay. Pulling on the handbrake, Frank looked around, taking in the scene. Rachel on the otherhand wasn't going to miss this oppertunity to drive her point home. 

" Hey Frank" she said, gaining his attention from the pretty blonde in the truck next to them. 

" Huh? Yeah?" he said. 

" I wouldn't have missed that turn!" she grinned as she hopped out of the cabin to unload Kalifa who was angrily stamping from within the float. Leading Kalifa down the float and tying him up she went to unload her gear. Frank unfortunatly was patting the horse when the loudspeaker erupted from the pole near them. 

" Welcome ladies and gentle to the 45th Annual Government Service Horse Show. Would competitors please report to your rings as the judging is about to commence." 

Kalifa leapt sideways from the evil monster voice, landing on Frank's foot and making him yelp in surprise. Rachel poked her head around the tailgate to see what all the noise was about. 

"Frank? Keep down will ya.. you'll spook him even more.. just make him shift his weight over and pull your foot out!"she laughed, knowing Frank had no idea of how to do that. Grabbing her saddle Rachel strolled down the tailgate to find Frank holding his foot. Smiling she tacked up Kalifa, pulled on her hunting cap and gloves, mounted her horse, and rode off to her ring. 

Frank looked at the woman on the big dark horse and wondered if he vaugly knew her from somewhere, it LOOKED like his partner, SOUNDED like his partner, even SMELT like his partner, if you exscuse the horse smell. Looking again at the woman and horse with a stash of ribbons around the horses neck, he refused to believe it was his partner. I mean Rachel Goldstein, winning stuff at a horse show? His brain seemed to shut down and refuse to function as the horse and rider seemed to park themselves by the truck he was watching from. 

" Frank are you gonna just SIT there all day or are you gonna do something like say 'congradulations'?" she said, slowly dismounting the sweaty Kalifa, wincing as her stiff legs met the ground. Frank hopped out of the cabin, carefully minding that doosey of a first step, and walked over to Rachel. 

" Gez Rach, this is like.. like.. hell. you did good mate!" he said, awe again in his voice. Rachel smiled, her mind thinking that this was NOT the Frank Holloway that she worked with. THAT Frank Holloway didn't giver her such open genuine compliments! Snapping back to his normal self Frank had one thing to say to her. 

"Yeah well remember with the tie, its around, behind, UP and through" he said, gently ribbing her about the morning's events. 

'yep' the voice in Rachel's head sounded ' same old Frank!' 

Finis.... 

well there it is folks.. the promised happy horse fluff! 


End file.
